No abstract

Yearling rainbow trout, Salmo gairdneri, and channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, were subjected to 0.5- and 3-h periods of narcosis using continuous direct current. Galvanonarcosis treatments decreased the immediate individual and group activity in both species of fish. Twenty-four hours after treatment, all fish except trout narcotized for 3 h recovered to levels of individual and group activity equivalent to those of untreated fish. Photonegative response was strong in both fish species and was not influenced by galvanonarcosis treatments. Trout narcotized with direct current were more vulnerable to predation than untreated fish; susceptability increased with increasing treatment periods. The potential of extended galvanonarcosis as a fish immobilization technique is strong. Key words: galvanonarcosis, behavior, extended narcosis, direct current, rainbow trout, channel catfish, photonegative, activity, prey vulnerability, immobilization

Invasive species can cause dramatic changes in the structure of intertidal communities. In some systems, however, abundance or impacts of invaders may peak 10-20 years after invasion and decline thereafter. Hemigrapsus sanguineus (Asian Shore Crab) has been established at Sandwich, MA, on the north side of Cape Cod, since the mid-1990s. This study documented population dynamics of the Asian Shore Crab and 3 species of prey or competitors (Carcinus maenas [Green Crab], Mytilus edulis [Blue Mussel], and Littorina littorea [Common Periwinkle]) over 10 years. An additional goal of the study was to determine whether population growth of the Asian Shore Crab has slowed since its initial establishment. Density of the Asian Shore Crab increased over time, with no evidence of a density-dependent decrease in per capita growth rates. Concurrently, density of the Green Crab and the Blue Mussel declined, but there was no significant temporal trend in density of the Common Periwinkle. If observations at Sandwich are representative of sites north of Cape Cod, populations of the Asian Shore Crab are growing rapidly, and dramatic changes in community structure may be widespread.

No abstract

Water for Cambodia used biosand filters (BSFs) to provide microbiologically safe drinking water for people in Moat Khla floating village in 2010 and 2011. All 189 families use the lake, which by World Health Organization (WHO) standards is deemed unsafe for drinking water. Surveys from December 2010 to February 2011 compared 40 families using BSFs and 40 families not using BSFs. Over 92% of BSF households and 90% of non-BSF households were using high-risk lake source water (>100 colonies Escherichia coli/100 mL). Only 2.5% of BSF households had filtered water with bacteria in the high-risk range and only 5% of these 40 households showed recontamination in their storage water. Forty percent of non-BSF households had high-risk bacteria levels in their stored water, and most used no treatment. Storage water for non-BSF families showed a significant reduction in mean log10E. coli levels compared to their lake source water. Stored water for non-BSF families showed recontamination even for UV-treated water and boiled river water. Recontamination occurs in both groups but is much less for BSF households highlighting the value of proper storage containers used by BSF households and the need for water and sanitation education for floating villages in Cambodia.